This invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing same in which the performance of the semiconductor device is improved. More particularly, this invention relates to measures for eliminating disadvantages caused by the effect of electrical shorts and shunts due to pinholes or other gaps created during the fabrication process of the device.
Recently, considerable efforts have been made to develop systems for depositing amorphous semiconductor alloys, each of which can encompass relatively large areas, and which can be doped to form p-type and n-type materials for the production of p-i-n and other type devices which are, in photovoltaic and other applications, substantially equivalent to their crystalline counterparts. As such devices, the applicant disclosed improved photoelectric cells in Japanese Patent Published Applications Nos. sho 55-4494, 55-124274, 56-13777, 56-13778 and 56-13779.
One example of a prior art photovoltaic device is shown in FIG. 1. In the figure, a segmented transparent conductive film 2 is formed on a glass substrate 1 with the aid of a mask aligned above the substrate 1. Semiconductor layers 3 are deposited on the substrate 1 with the conductive film segments 2 therebetween with a mask aligned above the substrate 1. Further, on the substrate 1 with the conductive film 2 and the semiconductor layers 3, aluminum layers 4 are formed as second electrodes with the aid of a mask. Reference numerals 31 and 11 designate respective photoelectric cells in the figure. Irradiation 10 is shown as from the substrate 1 side.
The two cells 31 and 11 are connected in series by means of a connection 12. In the connection 12 the second electrode 38 of cell 11 is made in contact with the first electrode 37 of cell 31. Upper electrode 39 is connected to external connection 5. Although the figure appears only with two connections, a number of the cells are connected with each other in series. Such an integrated photovoltaic device tends to be degraded after thermal treatment at 150.degree. C. for tens of hours. Such a device is not suitable for outdoor use where the device is likely subjected to high temperature ambience.
To eliminate the adverse reaction, use is made of a double-layered electrode as the second electrode, composed of a conductive transparent layer such as an ITO film below the aluminum electrode, the ITO film being free from reaction with the aluminum layer or the semiconductor layer. The conductive transparent electrode, however, tends to be finely deposited throughout the semiconductor, including pinholes, gaps, or the like defects formed therein during fabrication processing. The transparent electrode material in the defects constitutes short current paths either as formed or due to some influence occurring after fabrication. Because of this, only photovoltaic devices having a small converting area such as of 1 cm.times.4 cm are currently available.
One attempt to eliminate short current circuit paths within amorphous semiconductor photovoltaic devices involves the application of a reverse bias to the device. The applied reverse bias causes large currents to flow through the short circuit current paths, thereby causing localized heating of the current paths. The localized heating crystallizes the amorphous semiconductor in the region of the short circuit current paths to increase the resistivity of the paths. Unfortunately, this process has many limitations. The resistivity of the path remains less than the resistivity of the unheated amorphous semiconductor device area although it is certainly increased by the concentrated current. As a result, the short circuit current paths are not eliminated, but have their resistivity changed to a limited extent. Also this method is not effective for eliminating short circuit current paths resulting from substrate surface irregularities which can be a most prevalent cause of short circuit current paths, especially in large area devices having a roughened substrate surface forming a diffuse back reflector.